Battery Charges Against Rush Guitarist Diminished — But He's Not Off The Hook

MTV News ^ | 3.22.2004 | Jon Wiederhorn

[NYC GOP Chick]

A circuit court in Collier County, Florida, has charged Alex Lifeson (a.k.a. Alex Zivojinovich), the guitarist for Canadian power trio Rush, with two third-degree felony counts of battery against a law-enforcement officer.

The charges stem from a New Year's Eve incident in which Lifeson became enraged after security personnel at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel restaurant in Naples, Florida, prevented Lifeson's son Justin from joining the house band onstage to sing to his wife. Police became involved and Lifeson allegedly elbowed one in the face, pushed a female officer down a staircase, and ripped an officer's radio from his uniform (see "Rush Guitarist Considers Suit Alleging Police Brutality").

The third-degree battery charges were knocked down from two first-degree charges of aggravated battery against a law-enforcement officer. Four additional charges against Lifeson were dropped: resisting/obstructing an officer with violence, resisting/obstructing an officer without violence, disorderly intoxication and depriving an officer of the protection of a communication device.

The rocker will appear before a judge of the 20th Judicial Circuit Court in Naples on May 17. If convicted, Lifeson could face a fine of $500 or more and/or jail time. In the New Year's Eve fight, cops allegedly broke Lifeson's nose and zapped him four times with a stun gun to restrain him. The guitarist spent two nights in jail before he was released.

[StarfireIV]

Well, I hope he doesn't have to do any jail time, I have tickets for the 3rd of July.

[NewRomeTacitus]

Hey Fleder, we missed you the other day. It was great.

[Fledermaus]

I regret I had to miss it. I would have loved to be there if only to meet wardaddy's wife! he he he

[ApplegateRanch]

How can anyone pick?? Where does one start?

These don't even include show tunes or classical, television/movie themes, or several others.

Phil Harris; Kingston Trio; Elvis; Everly Brothers; Bing Crosby; Brothers Four; Satchmo; Peter Paul & Mary; Charo; Spike Jones; Fire House Five Plus Two; Gene Autrey; Yogi Yorgesson; Der Yoopers; Radio Mac; Big Bopper; Aretha Franklin; Peggy Lee; Anything by the Beetles, as long as someone else is doing it; Mark Bradford; Billy Murray; Chad Mitchell Trio; Roy Rodgers/Sons of the Pioneers; Anne Murray; Arther Lyman; Beach Boys; Jan & Dean; Branford Marsalis; Billy Holliday; Burl Ives; Brenda Lee; Ventures; Charlie Daniels; The Weavers; Vince Garaldi; Irish Rovers; Canadian Brass; Jim Croce; Harry Chappin; Julie London; Kenny Rodgers; Johnny Mathis; Benny Bell; (early) Wierd Al; Capitol Steps; Congress of Wonders; Tom Lehr; Chad Morgan; Mel Blanc; Bela Fleck & The Flecktones; Catarina Valente; Nervous Norvis; Floyd Cramer; Ferrante & Tiecher; Frankie Lane; Rusty Draper...

[Keltik]

Whenever I hear a Rush record I want to make a citizen's arrest on Geddy Lee's tonsils.

[NewRomeTacitus]

To answer your question, "Working Man" was on their self-titled album "Rush" way back in 1974. They reprised it on their first live album "All The World's A Stage" two years later. That song is still lauded by musicians for it's tight drum and guitar work.

But what really matters is that it stands as a blue collar anthem for the ages.

[Fledermaus]

I've never seen that album...the first exposure to Rush I got was that three album set, in a plain gray cover with their symbol on it, that re-released their first three albums.

[endthematrix]

Yep. Finding My Way and In The Mood too.

[NYCVirago]

Actually, the "new" album that's coming out is yet *another* greatest hits deal, but with the 2 new songs.

What's the album title: The Who Sell Out (Again)? ;) Seriously, how many greatest hits albums can they release? Or live albums? Gosh, I don't think I've heard quite enough live versions of Baba O'Reilly and Behind Blue Eyes!

[dyed_in_the_wool]

Wow! You got everything but Kajagoogoo and Vanilla Ice!

Did you happen to catch the Kajagoogoo Bands Reunited episode on VH1? Limahl apparently still has his voice.
No, I'm not a fan, however, my wife was waybackwhen.

[FreedomPoster]

You need XM, and your favorite stations will be XM40, Deep Tracks, and XM74 Bluesville. I know this because that list is right in the middle of my music-listening sweet spot, and that's where I go.

[Benrand]

Just got the Kidas and Alright DVD.

Keef Moon was a genous drummer...until the booze caught up wth him, thne he was a slow uncoordinated slob...what a loss.

How can people call Rush pretensious and then list Bruce Springsteen as one of their favorites? That guy is in the dictionary as the meaning of pretensious.

see: Springsteen, Bruce.

ANd surely all the new wave and NYC punkers weren't pretensious...now way was Mick Jones of BAD pretensious. The Clash weren't pretensious...not at all, not even when they brough tin Allen Ginsburg to record...they're still one of my favorite bands...

[FreedomPoster]

>>My absolute favorite group is the Who

Likewise, and I am about to attempt to make you jealous with a Who story.

6-7 years ago, "Roger Daltry" appeared on our Chastain Amphitheater summer concert series program (we get season tix, close-in seats). "Cool!" I thought. This show was later advertized in the paper as "Roger Daltry Sings The Who". Say what!?

Show ends up being Daltry, Entwhistle, Shawn Townsend on lead guitar and Zack Starkey on drums (yes, the sons), with a mini-orchestra. It was like seeing The Who in a small amphitheater, from 40' away. Played many serious Who hits, lots of Quadrophenia and Who's Next.

Highlight of the show was during the rainstorm (a hazard of outdoor summer concerts here), Daltry standing at the edge of the stage, rain coming off the stage canopy edge pouring over and soaking, while he belts out "Love, Reign O'er Me", with the band and mini-orchestra rocking out. Absolutely perfect, you couldn't have scripted it for a music video any better, except it was totally spontaneous with the weather.

A much better show than the two real arena Who shows I have seen, which were very good. Unforgettable.

And you probably have it, but if you don't, you must get the new expanded and remixed Live at Leeds CD set that came out a couple of years ago. Highly recommended.

[FreedomPoster]

Ping to 73 above. Probably my favorite as well, if I was forced to pick. I've got an original Quadrophenia LP with the full photo insert book, a German pressing. Good stuff. You just can't do the artwork on a 5"x5-1/2" CD rectangle that you could on a 12" square LP, especially a fold-out one, and the music world is poorer for it.

[FreedomPoster]

Joe was a decade and a half+ ahead of the swing revival 5-6 years ago (Brian Setzer, Big Bad Voodoo Daddies, and the like) with his Jumpin' Jive. Neat guy, have a couple of his LPs from when they were new releases.

How can you not like a guy who make a line like:

"Pretty women out walkin' with gorillas down my street"

actually work in a song?

[ovrtaxt]

Man, you're killin me!! Almost every band you name I like! Except (toto and air supply)*puke* I'm a 70s prog rocker who didn't discover it until the 80's-- I was raised on Zeppelin and ZZ Top and southern rock-- I can appreciate disco for musical reasons, and I can listen to blues AALLL day!

But Rush is one of my favorites, near the top of my list.

Ever hear of King's X? Another off-the-wall type band with strong blues, black gospel and metal roots.

How about Los Amigos Invisibles? Acid jazz dance. In spanish. Very catchy.

[ovrtaxt]

Caress of Steel, I think.

[Wrigley]

"Faith, Hope and Love" is a great album.

[ovrtaxt]

I wore that CD out!! (joke, I know it's a laser, not a needle) When I got that album, I read the lyric sheet over and over. With the 'Gretchen' album, I couldn't figure out what their deal was, their lyrics were really enigmatic. FHL just laid it all out on the table. Really a masterpiece album. 'We Were Born to be Loved' is just a killer track, the way it ends-- or doesn't end, y'know?

About six months after I got that album, I got saved. King's X had a lot to do with it. And they're really cool guys. I have met them a couple of times, and I've seen them in local bars, with crowds of maybe 200. They play entirely too loud, it's just great!

[ovrtaxt]

BTW, great homepage! HAHA